Zuki and Zambi

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Beautifulmess

Beautifulmess

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Zambi is currently going down hill quite quickly, we're considering when to put him to sleep atm since theres nothing we can do about the massive lump in his gut, the vet thinks if we open him up, it'll be too big to remove without some problems and its around 80% sure he won't survive the operation so we opted not to do it. He's still eating and drinking, but seems miserable and puffed up other than that, his stomach is hard because he's lost weight but the mass is still there. He has diarrhoea everyday, we wash him and clean him out everyday (not impaction)...

So we're not sure what to do, the vet says bring him in when he goes off his food, so we're sort of waiting. How long do you wait to bond the pig left behind with another? Should Zuki go with Zambi and be with him when they put him to sleep or not? They aren't the best of friends and don't hug/snuggle in the cage like my other two do btw.
 
Ah bless him, i think both you and Zambi will know when it is time. It's a heartbreaking decision to make but just remember that any decisions are made with love foremost in your heart. Hugs to you and the piggies.
 
I'm so sorry to hear about poor Zambi. If he seems miserable then I would say that it's time to let him go. It's a hard but necessary decision. Someone once said to me on this very issue- " better an hour too soon, than a minute too late" and I live by that when I have to make this decision, and I have had to do more times than I care to mention over the years. :(

I am thinking about you at this awful time. *hugs*.
 
Sorry to hear your thinking of making this decision. You'll know when it's time. In my opinion when we made the choice for Pitch it was her quality of life we decided on, she was in pain despite painkillers and no longer seemed herself.

Luckily as owners we have the power to help them across the bridge and not watch them suffer so while it was heartbreaking and full of guilt I will never regret making that decision and am glad I had the chance to help her when she needed our love the most. I agree with MagaretB on the "better an hour too soon, than a minute too late" As people told us before hand 'you know when it's time' and you really do.

As for taking Zuki to the vets, having personally had 2 piggies PTS I wouldn't. But I would bring Zambi body to show Zuki afterwards.

Amanda wrote an insightful post into euthanasia which is comforting and factual if you've never gone through it before http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...ia-What-happens-when-it-s-time-to-say-goodbye

I am once again so sorry and sending you and Zambi lots of love and hugs x
 
It would be really hard for us to bring Zambi back and then take him back to the vets as it's a 2 hour bus journey or a 45 minute car journey and we have no garden and no more room in my boyfriends parents garden so he will need to be cremated. Made me sad to read that thread, maybe it made it more 'real'. I usually allow my animals to go naturally but after the last 2 where we choose to wait, the pigs did die in a very uncomfortable way, they didn't have pain up until that point though. Zambi's lump suggests, he'll just stop eating and may become impacted INSIDE his intestines which I'm guessing will cause pain, he was a big pig at over 1000g, and I can now feel his bones so I'm guessing it will soon be time :/

I can't weigh him because the mass in his intestines is huge (spans across his belly from one side to the other and is hard) so it doesn't show much difference in weight :/

Do you think they know they're sick?
 
Sorry, that link to the thread has upset you, when we had our first girl PTS I had no idea what to expect but luckily had an amazingly caring vet who gave Pitch some gas to knock her out prior to the injection. It was very peaceful. I know what you are going through and how painful it is, it's not an easy decision but will mean there is no pain at the end.

As you are quite far from the vets, when the time comes take Zuki also, so you can show him Zambi afterwards. How is Zambi today? Has he got pain relief?

Big hugs to you x
 
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No pain relief yet, I'm considering ring the vets and asking for a small amount just until we can decide when...

He's sitting in the corner atm, but perked up for some tomato.
 
I'm glad you have some pain medication for him, but please, don't leave it too long. It sounds like he is in a lot of discomfort and "allowing him to go naturally" would be cruel in my opinion. Surely better to let him go to sleep at the vets sooner, than let him struggle on getting worse and worse.

Sorry, I don't mean to sound heartless. I do feel for you. :rose
 
I think we've picked Tuesday as I'm working all day Monday, Sunday is emergency only and we really don't have the money to be paying those type of fees atm as we're trying to buy a house. I'm going to start syringe feeding him today just to help perk him up, even though he's eating and drinking for himself, I think a bit more would help for the remaining days. I'll be truthful, I feel like I'm 'killing' him... like I've chosen the day his life ends... this crushes me inside. I understand the arguements for and against but this is just how I feel deep down inside. :/ hate being an adult.

How long should I leave Zuki alone? Do I pair him up as soon as possible or leave him for a while?
 
We've booked an appointment for 10am. I was told we're not allowed to be with him when he's put to sleep? Is this normal? I expected to at least have a choice?
 
Beautifulmess said:
We've booked an appointment for 10am. I was told we're not allowed to be with him when he's put to sleep? Is this normal? I expected to at least have a choice?
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Hi sorry to hear about your little one xx I have just been through this myself with my squirrel and was hard to do. She was in pain and refusing to eat it was not nice to see her struggling x I took her to vet and knew it was time , they weighed her and she had lost alot of weight and was weak.
I asked for her to be put to sleep . They told me what they done and said she will be asleep and it will be peaceful.
I was in a bit of a mess could not talk .
So I gave her a kiss and a snuggle and they asked if I would like to see her afterwards but I could 'nt as I was a wreck so I just left .For me it would of been horrible seeing seeing her after being pit to sleep . But everyone is different . I just knew when I left she was out of pain x:(
 
I keep bursting into tears, he's struggling but he's still eating... I am extremely agoraphobic and I usually have panic attacks about going out but this is going to make it almost impossible but I have to do it... I'm terrified, I really am... I held him today whilst washing his bum in the sink and he barely 'fought', he hated being picked up... it made him feel uncomfortable and he barely kicked or anything so I know if he doesn't go on his own by Tuesday it's time anyhow... but I'm like in pieces, I can't think straight and I have to work tomorrow... my boyfriend is going to try and get the entire day off, he doesn't think he can handle work after it... I won't have work until the weekend but I'm so worried about everything...

We're having him individually cremated but I don't know when that happens and if we're suppose to collect him the same day or not. I asked the receptionist what will happen, the vet is suppose to check him, then we're suppose to leave, they'll give him some gas then inject him... but he'll be all on his own and I find it very hard to cry in front of people... eugh :'(
 
I am so very sorry that you are having to make this decision. I had to make it myself and it was one of the hardest decisions I had to make.
My Eleanor had kidney failure which came on very suddenly. But she had lost a lot of weight, had stopped eating and the vet found lumps in her kidney area. I was told that if we left her, she would be in great pain and I didn't want that.

To be honest, I am not sure why your vet will not allow you to be present so I would double check when you go.

As for the ashes, Zamba will be taken to the cremortouriam and then returned to your vet who should phone you so you can arrange to collect him from the vet. The process normally takes a few days but ask and have everything clear in your head.

x
 
Oh hun, this is so very sad and am in tears for you and your boy 8...You are making the ultimate decision because you love him.
Thoughts are with you and Zamba...massive hugs x
 
Do they tend to go up and down, have good days and bad days... zambi didn't seem half as bad today. We're hoping to move the appointment to a later time tomorrow, instead of 10am, just because neither of us were home early tonight.

Ive spent my day workung but woke up throwing up, my doctor thinks its stress and the conflict I'm in over this... its got to be the hardest decision ill ever have to make :/
 
Thoughts are with you today and love to Zambi x
 
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